Your Gut Health Simplified with podcast guest

Sandra Mikhail is an internationally-known and accredited dietitian, the founder of Nutrition A-Z, and the author of The Gut Chronicles: An Uncensored Journey into the World of Digestive Health and Illness. With over a decade of experience, Sandra’s passion for and work in gut health created a movement for normalizing ‘poo talk,’ shedding light on topics you may find yourself secretly searching for on the internet. Known as the gut health dietitian ‘making poo talk salon chic,’ she currently lives in Zürich, Switzerland, with her husband and children, with a thriving private practice and a signature tea blend for turbulent tummies.

In this episode, Sandra and I discuss gut health and its crucial role in women’s health. We talk about the role of the gut in overall health, why we need to normalize poo conversations, the gut-hormone connection, how you can start tracking your gut symptoms, what to look for in a gut specialist, Sandra’s thoughts on food intolerance testing, how the FODMAP process works, and so much more. Stay tuned for an eye-opening conversation!

Episode Highlights

Sandra’s childhood and how conversations about gut health were normalized

How Sandra’s IBS diagnosis led to her career focus on gut health

The role of the gut in overall health and why it’s so important to talk about poo

Removing the shame and stigma around discussing symptoms like bloody stool or chronic diarrhea

The gut-hormone connection

Understanding gut symptoms during different phases of the menstrual cycle

How the gut microbiome impacts hormone metabolism

Why Sandra recommends tracking as the first step in figuring out your gut issues

What to look for in a gut specialist who can help you with testing and diagnosis

Why it’s important to approach food intolerance testing with caution

Significant risks associated with long-term elimination diets

What FODMAPs are and how the FODMAP process works

Differentiating between celiac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity

The underdiagnosis of celiac disease and the need for accurate testing

Downsides of eliminating gluten without medical necessity

What you can do to start improving your gut health

Sandra’s holistic four-pillar approach to gut health

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from this episode — and how Fix Your Period can help.

What is the gut-hormone connection?

The gut microbiome plays a direct role in hormone metabolism. The estrobolome — the collection of gut bacteria that metabolise estrogen — determines how much estrogen gets reabsorbed into circulation vs. excreted. Poor gut health leads to estrogen recirculation, driving estrogen dominance and worsening period symptoms.

How does leaky gut affect hormones?

Intestinal permeability (leaky gut) allows bacterial toxins (LPS) into the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation that disrupts hormone signalling, stresses the adrenal glands, and impairs thyroid function. Healing the gut lining is often a foundational step in addressing hormonal imbalances.

What are signs that gut health is affecting my period?

Signs include bloating that worsens before your period, estrogen dominance symptoms (heavy periods, clots, breast tenderness, PMS), irregular cycles, skin issues like hormonal acne, and mood disruption — particularly anxiety and depression around the luteal phase.

Is there an app that addresses the gut-hormone connection?

Yes. Fix Your Period's free assessment identifies gut-linked hormonal patterns. Fix Your Period Premium unlocks Nicole's gut health protocols, dedicated Period Pillars education on the gut-hormone axis, and Nicole.AI for personalised support.

How does nutrition support the gut-hormone axis?

Key strategies include increasing dietary fibre (which binds excess estrogen for excretion), eating fermented foods to diversify the microbiome, reducing inflammatory foods that damage the gut lining, and addressing specific dysbiosis or SIBO with targeted protocols.

Your Gut Health Simplified

Episode Highlights

Watch on YouTube

Resources Mentioned

How Fix Your Period Connects Gut Health to Your Hormones

Frequently Asked Questions